With TWI you pre-register your IP’s to be “ranked”. This, imo, would make the
best system for banning unwanted servers from VALVe’s side.
Seems like a perfect solution to me.
Saint K.
From: hlds-boun...@list.valvesoftware.com
[mailto:hlds-boun...@list.valvesoftware.com] On Behalf Of Cats From Above
Sent: Friday, December 18, 2015 3:17 PM
To: Half-Life dedicated Win32 server mailing list <hlds@list.valvesoftware.com>
Subject: Re: [hlds] Mandatory TF2 update coming
E. Olsen’s suggestions are all fine and dandy, except for the following
remaining questions:
1. How do you propose that Valve deal with operators who split their servers
into different Steam IDs and regularly replace the Steam ID of their widely
blacklisted server with a new one? Given that Valve can’t/won’t stop 10 year
olds creating hundreds of Steam Accounts from the same computer and then using
them to run LMAOBox on servers, I’m sceptical that they’d have the fortitude to
deal with this issue either. And no, IP/IP:Port bans are not the answer (Too
easy to change/Shared hosting considerations) nor is creating a barrier to
entry for new server operators.
2. How do you propose competitive matchmaking / lobbies etc fit into this new
UI? It’s looking rather over-crowded as it is.
3. Why do you believe that privately-run servers should be given equal
preference, when on any other Valve game official is the default option?
4. How does any of what has been suggested negate the rising trend of official
server exclusive content, such as contracts etc, that would naturally bias a
new player toward Valve servers?
5. Do you believe competitive / matchmaking games will be matched to official
servers only to ensure a stock experience and to negate cheating the
match/economy? If so, what’s the point of discussing any of this if the biggest
player drain from private servers is yet to come and this addresses none of it?
Sorry to be the one to ask the tough questions (not really), but someone needed
to play devil’s advocate.
On Sat, Dec 19, 2015 at 12:10 AM, E. Olsen <ceo.eol...@gmail.com> wrote:
Just FYI, the whole "if players found community servers valuable, they would be
playing on them", isn't even remotely valid. If you owned a popular restaurant,
and the government came in and built an expressway that bypassed that
restaurant completely (and only your existing customers even knew there was an
off ramp somewhere to get to you), eventually you would close your doors, and
through no fault of your own.
Any and all perceived "problems" Valve might have had with community server
could be easily and quickplay fixed, simply by doing the following:
1. Make the client server-blacklisting system work across the board with both
the server browser AND quickplay.
2. Allow players to blacklist individual servers and/or whole groups of servers
that belong to a particular Steam ID (which would prevent them from ever being
re-connected to those servers/groups of servers).
3. After doing the above, default quickplay to "all" when using the "play
multiplayer" button (if they choose to continue to use that horrible design
choice) OR even better - break the buttons up as suggested in THIS UI design
proposal.
That's it - that's all it would take.
Do that, and community servers would be self-policing (bad servers would
naturally be blacklisted over time), and players would be exposed again to all
options they have in terms of diversity and choice (something which is slowly,
but surely, being stamped out of the game).
There can be no question that the game experience is better in the long-term on
good community servers. Skill levels are higher, communication is better, and
teamwork actually exists on a regular basis. Members of the TF2 team have
admitted that themselves on this very mailing list. It doesn't need to be an
"us against them" scenario, as again - all the TF2 team need do is expand
existing tools available to the players to police their own experience to once
again allow equitable treatment to community servers.
...but again, this has all been said time and again via this list, and I doubt
anyone on the TF2 team even reads it anymore. I think if they planned to carry
though on "supporting communities passionate about the game" as they once again
mentioned just 5 months ago, then they would have done so by now.
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